The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-09
MIAMI COUNTY'S LYNCHING
Death of DIR. North, the Victim of the
Frenzied Christiancy's Bullet.
Complete History of the Crime, and the Speedy
and awful Punishment Inflicted Upon the
Murderer by Mob of Enraged Men.
special to the 1ndianasoiis Journal.

this city. It was not thought from the first
that he could survive the wound, and he fingered
! along most of the time in a semi unconscious
| state, suffering much pain but bearing it nobly.
| The immediate cause of death was the passage
! of pistol ball through his liver and kidneys.
| His wife was with him all the time. and anxious
friends were ready to do all that could be done.
| He was born at Labaddie, No., in 1854. and was
| in his thirty third year. He graduated from the
| St Louis Medical College, aud since then he has
practiced his profession. Two years ago, on the
opening of the Wabash hospital he came here
and took charge chief physician and surgeon,
and has held the post ever since. Under his
management the hospital has become noted as
one of the finest il the West AS man he was
universally liked. and amongst the railway men
he was almost worshped. Universal sorrow and
regret prevail, and the absorbing topic is his
untimely fate. A wife and child are left to
mourn. Dr. Jackson. of Kansas City, chief sur
geon of the Wabash. and brother-in-law, is
here attending the family.
The complete details attending the shooting
and lynching of Christiancy are as follows: James
Christiancy. a worthless, brutal and dangerous
man, of anarchist principles, and who hesitated
at nothing when aroused, lived back of the hos
pital in a house owned by his daughter-inlaw
1t is said that he served years in the Sid
ney, Australia, criminal colony, and from there
came to this country. Certain it is that he tried
to kill several men in this city before. George
Baker married his daughter in law, Flora Ban
non on Wednesday evening, at o'clock,
and Christiancy 8 son came down to the saloon
he was working at, informing him of the fact
This violently enraged him, and he started for
the house aud asked her to come out. as he
wished to talk with her. She refused to CO.
fearing violence. but upon his promise to do no
harm, went to him. He began abusing her. and
finally struck and beat her, and at
tempted to shoot her, but was prevented
from so doing by the interference of his wife and
children. He then went into a shed in the rear
of the yard. closing the door. and firing two
shots from his revolver, with the intention of
making them suppose he had shot himself. DR..
North and A c. Sterling. who bad heard the
shots and out-cries. came up to see what the
trouble was. and the Doctor. supposing Chris
tiancy had killed himself, opened the door,
when Christiancy, who was lying on the ground
jumped up and came toward the Doctor who
stepped behind the door to shield himself. The
Dane came out and deliberately walked toward
the Doctor, shooting him at distance of five
feet. DR.. North fell, and three close by
grappled with Christiancy, and, after desper-
ate struggle, succeeded in disarming and secur-
ing him. just then Deputy Sheriffs Butter and
Rhinebarger arrived and took the man to jail.
The Doctor was taken on stretcher to the hos
ptai, some two blocks away.
was intense. Knots of men gathered here and
there discussing it, but after the noon
hour the excitement somewhat subsidized
better. Toward evening his condition grew
weaker and at p. NJ. the agitation
painful. Large crowds of people were upon the
streets, and the general verdict was, Lynch
him." Whenever the ambulance from the hos
pltal came down town. rush of 200 people
more would surrrund it, and deep curses would
be heard At IL P. NJ. about 500 people were
about N a nda fne ed W.
for what they knew not. Then came a rumor
that at midnight. when the electric lights went
out. something would happen, and the crowd |
waited. At the eighth stroke of the bell exactly
ont went the lights. and with shout the crowd |
pressed on towards the entrance of the Jail. |
There they halted and stood. ALI thew lacked |
was a leader. At this time came steady tramp, |
in true military time. Twenty men with
black masks came from the north door and on
through the hall. The crowd was forced back
into the yard. and In an instant out went the
gas leaving all in total darkness. Then crash,
bang, went the door leading into the sheriffs Of
fce where the Jail KEYS were kept. A moment
only it seemed, and then, with an
other crash, the door leading to the cell
corridor was open. There was resistance from
,he officers, and the folly of it apparent
when glanced at the determined men, with
edges and bars breaking the com bination off the
outer iron door Once this accomplished,
he rest easy, they had the keys, and
was taken from his kre es and a rope
placed about his neck. He was led out into the
pen air. and thence down Broadway surrounded
ully one thousand people. Each step the crowd
increased. and by the time tho bridge was
cached there were fifteen hundred two
bousa1d people. Once Christiancy threw him
elf upon the ground, asking mercy, but he was
rge6 on.
In the center Of the large iron bridge the
ynchers halted and men with drawn revolvers
Tere stationed upon each side to keep the crowd
ack. The rope was thrown over beam, and
was asked if he had anything to say
Ie replied by begging them not to hang him;
q |
You shot DR.. North" the Spokesman said.
Yes, but did not know who ii was" he re-
lied
Then the question was put by the leader, ssAll
favor of hanging, say yes which was fol-
'wed by mighty shout from fifteen hundred
im." The unfortunate wretch cried, Don't hang
lie. and occasionally muttered an oath, until
rought to halt by the black cloth being placed
as drawn up He freed his hands, and, reach
lg up, cutched the rope, taking the pressure
his neck. He was taken down, secured, and
len drawn up, but not high enough for those in
le rear to see, and the cry went up, "Higher
gher" when by the united efforts of two men
the beam above and others below he was ,
lawn to the top, eighteen feet above the road
ay. then the rope was tied and there he hung, {
grim and CHASTITY sight. Fifteen minutes aft
:, the vigiautes, By twos marched up Broad ,
ay to the clapping of hands and cheers to Sec
Id street, thence cast and disbauded 1t is not
,own who they were. The body was taken
'wn by Coroner Jamson at 2 A. NJ. and con- /
veo 10 an unuertaKers, Where lt was viewed
morning by thousands of people. From there
taken to his home and I
is the first intimation the poor v
fe had of his tragic death. He will be buried a
day. The rope with which the hanging was O
me was cut into small pieces and divided
nong the crowd, who eagerly sought them as T
lies. +
There was no drunkenness, n o loud actions nor v
'rds. but silent, deadly quiet that bode t
nm 10 any one interfering. 1t planned and t
ecuted cooly Every one knew his place and O
~. and every did it. The police and b
eriff witnessed the hanging. There has been
bitter feeling for some time past regarding the S
ut sentences some criminals received, and
ere is dou BIT that this intensified the feeling:
sides, report that Christiancy was shamming s.
sanity was circulated and this, with the re- n
rt that DR. North was rapidly sinking, brought Il
out the tragedy. j
The Miami County Sentinel says: sThe fact r
II a North Grove man borrowed revolver for l.
express purpose of killing another and did D.
q ball through bis antagonists skin. and is tt